Top loading dishwashing apparatus



Sept. 21, 1965 R. c. EDSTROM 3,207,167

TOP LOADING DISHWASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Richard C. E dsfrom His Attorney Sept. 21, 1965 R. c. EDSTROM 3,207,167

TOP LOADING DISHWASHING APPARATUS Filed. Aug. 50, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR.

Richard C. E dsfrom His Alla/nay United States Patent 3,207,167 TOP LOADING DISHWASHING APPARATUS Richard C. Edstrom, Portland, Greg, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 305,615 Claims. (Cl. 134144) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to dishwashing apparatus.

One problem with built-in dishwashing apparatus has been that of how to quickly load dishes therein without having drawers, racks or the like sliding outwardly into limited kitchen work space. One solution has been to provide a top loading access opening in the dishwashing apparatus cabinet but these arrangements require that a user spend an undue amount of time in loading and unloading articles. Furthermore, the arrangement of dish racks within such apparatus and door clearances through the top opening therein tend to contribute to breakage of glass articles and the like being placed therein.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to improve built-in dishwashers having top access openings by the provision of a movable dish rack arrangement including multiple, stacked loading tiers operable in a manner to allow dishes to be loaded on each tier within easy reach of a kitchen work ledge level.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved built-in dishwashing apparatus having a top access opening thereto including means for providing an improved spray pattern within a washing enclosure portion of the apparatus including a horizontal spray tube supported on a movable dish supporting receptacle for movement therewith into and out of the washing enclosure to allow for quick, breakage-free loading of dishes and the like within the enclosure at a point below the horizontal spray tube when it is in its operative position.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of part of a built-in kitchen arrangement including the dishwashing apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, partially broken view in perspective of the dishwashing apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken I along the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a portion of a built-in kitchen arrangement including a sink and a work surface level 11 located on either side of a built-in dishwashing apparatus 12 including an outer cabinet 14 having the front surface thereof aligned with the front surface of other units of the kitchen arrangement. The outer cabinet 14 has a top opening 18 formed therein providing access to a water container or tub 20 serving as a dishwashing enclosure in the apparatus 12. The access opening 18 is closed by front and rear folding doors 22, 23 pivoted to the cabinet 14 by suitable hinge means 24, 25, respectively, to form a kitchen work level surface adjacent to the sink 10 when in a closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1. In a preferred arrangement the doors 22, 23 may be constructed of a suitable material such as wood, synthetic fiber or the like suitable for use as a cutting board in the built-in kitchen arrangement.

The dishwashing arrangement 12, as best shown in 3,207,167 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 FIGURES 2 and 3, includes a sump 26 at the lower end of the tub 20 having a heating element 27 therein for drying articles in the washing compartments and an electric pressure switch 29 for controlling liquid level therein. The sump 26 has an opening 28 located centrally therein at the lowermost portion thereof. A tubular fitting 30 received within opening 28 is secured to sump 26 to form an inlet opening 32 to a pump, representatively illustrated as being a vane type centrifugal pump 34, driven by suitable means, for example, an electric motor 36. The pump has an outlet conduit 38 therefrom connected to a two-way valve mechanism 40 controlled by means of a solenoid actuator 42 for selectively directing fluid discharged from the pump 34 through a conduit 44 to drain and a conduit 45 located between the front wall of outer cabinet 14 and the water container 20 to a header 46 located adjacent an upper portion of container 20. The header 46 is representatively shown as having three outlets 48, 50, 52 directed through the front Wall of container 20 interiorly thereof to serve as a washing fluid supply means into the washing enclosure formed by the container 20.

The inlet water supply for the dishwashing apparatus 12 includes an inlet conduit 54 from a household water supply source connected through a solenoid valve 56 to an inlet conduit 58 having a terminus 60 supplying fluid through an air gap into a funnel 62 that serves to fill the container 20 with a predetermined amount of water for carrying out a desired dishwashing operation under the control of a suitable timer mechanism 64 representatively illustrated as being mounted on a top panel 65 directed across the top of the front wall of cabinet 14. The timer mechanism 64 progresses through a predetermined program to sequentially energize the solenoid valves 42, 56, heating element 27 and electric motor 36 to carry out a predetermined desired dishwashing operation, for example, an operation of the type set forth in the US. Patent 3,064,661 issued November 20, 1962 to Jacobs, including a wash, a rinse and a drying cycle in the controlling sequence.

In accordance with certain of the principles of the present invention, improved means are arranged within the dishwashing enclosure formed by the container 20 for improving loading and unloading access to the dishwashing apparatus. More particularly, within the container 20 a framework 66 is located including a pair of spaced straps 68, 70 at both the front and rear of the washing enclosure interconnected by an elongated channel-shaped track element 72 at the upper ends thereof. The opposed straps 68, 70 are interconnected by suitable framing elements 74 at the bottom ends thereof with the elements 74 forming a support platform for a lower dish supporting rack or receptacle 76 for carrying articles in a lower tier within the washing compartment 20. Located above the lower tier defined by the receptacle 76 is located an upper dish supporting rack or receptacle 78 that is supported at both the front and rear portions thereof on a pair of spaced legs 80 having their upper ends secured to the underside of receptacle 78 and their lower ends secured to rollers 82 mounted within the track 72 for horizontal movement therealong.

The framework 66 is movable vertically within the container 20 by means of power cylinders 84 located in the outer casing 14 of the apparatus 12 at diagonally opposite corners thereof, representatively illustrated as being located at the left front corner and right rear corner as illustrated in FIGURE 2 where a piston rod 85 is directed upwardly from each of the power cylinders 84 into container 20 Where the upper ends thereof are secured to corner gussets on the framework 66. Rods 87 secured within container 20 adjacent the inner surface thereof are directed through gussets on the remaining framework corners to guide these corners. In the illustrated embodiment, the power cylinders 84 are hydraulically actuated by pressurized fluid from conduit 54 that is directed into a four-way valve assembly 86 through a conduit 88 with the four-way valve 86 being operatively associated with suitable control buttons 90 adjacent the timer mechanism 64 to be conditioned so as to direct fluid flow from the conduit 88 into the cylinders 84 to force the piston rods 85 upwardly so as to raise the framework 66 toward the access opening 18 and also being conditioned by the control buttons 90 to communicate the power cylinders 84 with the drain conduit 44 when it is desired to lower the framework 66 into the container 20.

By virtue of the above-described arrangement, when it is desired to load the improved dishwasher of the present invention, a user merely has to open the folding doors 22, 23 into the positions illustrated in FIGURE 2 so that the rear door 23 will be located in a position generally perpendicular to the work surface of the built-in kitchen and the front door 22 will be located by hinge means 24 in a horizontal plane to form an extension of the work surface on which articles can be placed prior to loading or after unloading from the dish-carrying receptacles supported within the container 20. When the front door 22 is in its extended position, it is supported by a top edge portion 94 at the front of the outer cabinet 14.

Once the doors are in their open position, by depressing one of the control buttons 90, the four-way valve 86 is conditioned to cause the power cylinders 84 to raise the framework 66 upwardly toward the access opening 18 until the upper receptacle 78 is raised out of the cabinet 14. Once in this position, the receptacle can be moved horizontally on tracks 72 out of vertical alignment with the lower receptacle 76 to a position shown in FIGURE 1. This allows all portions of the dish supporting structure to be within easy reach of the general work level surface of the kitchen. Once the upper and lower receptacles have been filled with articles to be cleaned, a user locates the upper receptacle 78 in vertical alignment with the lower receptacle 76 and .another of the buttons 90 is depressed to condition the four-way valve 86 to direct fluid in the cylinders 84 to the drain conduit 44 and the weight of the articles in the receptacles will cause the framework 66 to gradually be lowered into the container 20 under the control of the fluid restricting characteristics of the discharge openings from valve 86. The doors 22, 24 are then closed and the timer mechanism 64 is positioned to carry out a desired predetermined dishwashing operation.

In accordance with certain of the other concepts of the present invention, improved means are included in the apparatus 12 for providing an unusually thorough spray pattern against articles supported by the upper and lower receptacles 76, 78. This improved spray pattern is attributable to the provision of horizontal spray tubes 100, 102, 104 located intermediate the upper and lower dish receptacles in the above-described multi-tiered stacked arrangement. The three spray tubes are directed transversely across the container 20 at spaced locations therein with each of the horizontal spray tubes 100, 102, 104 having the opposite ends thereof rotatably supported in bearing points 106, 108 secured to the receptacle 78. Each of the tubes 100, 102, 104 has an inlet opening 110 thereto .and slots 112 formed throughout the length thereof from which spray is directed against articles supported on the upper and lower receptacles 78, 76. The inlet openings 110 are arranged so that each communicates with one of the outlets 48, 50, 52 in the header 46 when the framework 66 is in its lowered position as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. An outlet seal element 113 of resilient material located around each of the header outlets is inflated by fluid flow through the outlets to sealingly engage the ends of the tubes around the inlet openings 110 to prevent fluid leakage between the header 46 and the tubes 100, 102, 104 when pressurized fluid is supplied to the header 46 from the pump 34. The tubes are of the type set forth in US. Patent 3,044,842 issued July 17, 1962 to Abresch et al. which discloses a horizontal spray tube arrangement that is rotatable by pressurized flow of fluid thereto. Accordingly, in the illustrated arrangement the tubes will rotate during the washing cycle to completely blanket the articles in the upper and lower receptacles with a high-pressure spray to remove foreign matter from all portions of the articles to be cleaned.

The feature of providing receptacle supported spray tubes of the above-described rotatable type produces an improved spray pattern in the washing compartment without interfering with the loading or unloading of articles from receptacles therein since the spray tubes will be carried by the receptacles 78 outwardly of the washing compartment and then moved horizontally on the tracks 72 out of interfering alignment with the lower receptacle 76. However, when the upper receptacle is aligned vertically with the lower receptacle and lowered into the container 20, the tubes will be communicated with the header 46 to carry out the above-described washing action.

Because of the improved multi-tiered dish receptacle arrangement, including the provision of receptacle supported horizontal spray distributing tubes, a relatively compact top loading dishwashing apparatus is provided that is especially suited for use as a built-in unit of a builtin kitchen arrangement. Moreover, the improved builtin appliance, because of the interrelationship of dish supporting receptacles and spray distributing means therein, can be quickly loaded and unloaded without materially blocking or interfering with kitchen work space while olfering the advantage of an unusually good spray distribution pattern within a washing compartment of the apparatus.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a top loading dishwasher the combination of, a tub forming a washing enclosure having a top opening 'therein, washing fluid supply means for directing washing fluid into said tub, a movable dish supporting receptacle having a bottom portion, means for supporting said receptacle in said tub, a washing fluid distributing tube for spraying articles supported by said receptacle, means for securing said washing fluid distributing tube on said receptacle whereby said tube is located substantially in the plane of the bottom portion of the receptacle, means including said receptacle support means for moving said receptacle out of said tub through the top opening therein to provide access for loading and unloading dishes to and from said receptacle, said receptacle support means serving to align said washing fluid distributing tube in fluid communication with said washing fluid supply means when said receptacle is located at a predetermined position with ing said tub for directing washing fluid through said tube to be sprayed against articles carried by said receptacle.

2. In a top loading dishwasher the combination of, a tub forming a washing enclosure having a top opening therein, washing fluid supply means for directing washing fluid into said tub, a movable dish supporting receptacle having a bottom portion, means for supporting said receptacle in said tub, a horizontally arranged washing fluid distributing tube for spraying articles supported by said receptacle, means for rotatably securing said washing fluid distributing tube on said receptacle so that the longitudinal axis of the tube is substantially in the plane of the bottom portion of said receptacle, means for moving said receptacle out of said tub through the top opening therein to provide access for loading and unloading dishes to and from said receptacle, said receptacle support means serving to align said washing fluid distributing tube in fluid communication with said washing fluid supply means when said receptacle is located within said tub for directing washing fluid into said tube, and means located internally of said tube reacting to the washing fluid directed into said tube for rotatably driving said tube relative to arti cles carried in said receptacle.

3. In a top loading dishwashing unit the combination of, a tub forming a washing enclosure having a top opening therein, washing fluid supply means for directing washing fluid into said tub including a plurality of washing fluid outlets, a movable dish supporting receptacle having a bottom portion, means for supporting said receptacle in said tub, a plurality of horizontally arranged washing fluid distributing tubes for spraying articles supported by said receptacle, means for securing each of said washing fluid distributing tubes at spaced points on said receptacle so that the longitudinal axis of said tubes are substantially in the plane of the bottom portion of said receptacle, means for moving said receptacle and the tubes secured thereto out of said tub through the top opening therein to provide access for loading and unloading dishes to and from said receptacle, said receptacle support means serving to align each of said washing fluid distributing tubes in fluid communication with one of the outlets of said washing fluid supply means when said receptacle is located at a predetermined position within said tub for directing washing fluid through said tubes to be sprayed against articles carried by said receptacle.

4. In a top loading dishwasher the combination of, a tub forming a washing enclosure having a top opening therein, washing fluid supply means for directing washing fluid into said tub, a movable dish supporting receptacle, means for supporting said receptacle in said tub for movement outwardly thereof through the top opening therein, said receptacle support means including a framework for supporting a dish rack in a lower portion of said tub below said receptacle in stacked relationship therewith, a washing fluid distributing tube for spraying articles supported in said receptacle and in a dash rack supported by said framework, means for securing said washing fluid distributing tube on said receptacle at a location beneath said receptacle and above a dish rack supported by said framework, means for moving said receptacle along with said washing fluid distributing tube out of said tub through the top opening therein to provide access for loading and unloading dishes to and from said reeptacle, said receptacle support means including means for guidingly directing said receptacle horizontally when raised out of said tub into a position offset relative to said framework in order to have access to the dish rack supported thereon, said receptacle support means serving to align said washing fluid distributing tube in fluid communication with said washing fluid supply means when said receptacle is located at a predetermined position within said tub for directing washing fluid through said tube to be sprayed against articles carried by said receptacle and the dish rack.

5. In a top loading dishwasher for association with a kitchen counter arrangement the combination of, a cabinet having front and rear surfaces and a top access opening, closure means for said top access opening including a first movable portion having one edge thereof pivotally secured to said cabinet adjacent its front surface and a second movable portion having one edge thereof pivotally secured to said cabinet adjacent its back surface, said movable portions being pivotable into an open position and into a closed position where they serve as a countertop portion of a kitchen counter arrangement, a tub located within said cabinet forming a washing enclosure having an open upper end aligned with said top access opening, washing fluid supply means for directing water into said tub, a movable dish supporting receptacle, means for supporting said receptacle in said tub for movement outwardly thereof through the top opening therein when said movable top portions are in their open position, said receptacle support means including a framework for supporting a dish rack in a lower portion of said tub below said receptacle in stacked relationship therewith, a washing fluid distributing tube for spraying articles supported on said recepatcle and on a dish rack supported by said framework, means for securing said washing fluid distributing tube on said receptacle at a location beneath said receptacle and above a dish rack supported by said framework, means for moving said receptacle out of said tub through the top opening therein to provide access for loading and unloading dishes to and from said receptacle, said receptacle support means including means for guidingly directing said receptacle horizontally when raised out of said tub into a position oflset relative to said framework in order to provide access to the dish rack supported thereon, said receptacle support means serving to align said washing fluid distributing tube in fluid communication with said washing fluid supply means when said receptacle is located at a predetermined position within said tub for directing washing fluid through said tube to be sprayed against articles carried by said receptacle and the dish rack.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,869 10/27 Murdock 134l44 X 2,512,452 6/50 Wilson 13414l 2,632,452 3/53 Spitzer 134176 X 2,722,941 11/55 Bartlett 134-148 X 2,724,392 11/55 Cooper 134-141 X 3,017,892 l/62 MiXOn 134l65 X 3,064,666 11/62 Warhus 134l65 X 3,070,104 12/62 Faust et al. l34l48 X 3,072,452 1/ 63 Sleeper 3l2-290 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TOP LOADING DISHWASHER THE COMBINATION OF, A TUB FORMING A WASHING ENCLOSURE HAVING A TOP OPENING THEREIN, WASHING FLUID SUPPLY MEANS FOR DIRECTING WASHING FLUID INTO SAID TUB, A MOVABLE DISH SUPPORTING RECEPTACLE HAVING A BOTTOM PORTION, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID RECEPTACLE IN SAID TUB, A WASHING FFLUID DISTRIBUTING TUBE FOR SPRAYING ARTICLES SUPPORTED BY SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID WASHING FLUID DISTRIBUTING TUBE ON SAID RECEPTACLE WHEREBY SAID TUBE IS LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE RECEPTACLE, MEANS INCLUDING SAID RECEPTACLE SUPPORT MEANS FOR MOVING SAID RECEPTACLE OUT OF SAID TUB THROUGH THE TOP OPENING THEREIN TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING DISHES TO AND FROM SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE SUPPORT MEANS SERVING TO ALIGN SAID WASHING FLUID DISTRIBUTING TUBE IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID WASHINUG FLUID SUPPLY MEANS WHEN SAID RECEPTACLE IS LOCATED AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION WITHING SAID TUB FOR DIRECTING WASHING FLUID THROUGH SAID TUBE TO BE SPRAYED AGAINST ARTICLES CARRIED BY SAID RECEPTACLE. 